


Unexpected Kindness (cont'd)

by yuki_w



Category: Dark Angel
Genre: Brother-Sister Relationships, Civil Rights Movement, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Terminal City
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-26
Updated: 2015-09-26
Packaged: 2018-04-23 10:21:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4873111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuki_w/pseuds/yuki_w
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec's injury from the siege isn't healing. Meanwhile, Max is trying to help while struggling with being the leader of the transgenics' movement.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected Kindness (cont'd)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Unexpected Kindness](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/146710) by Roonblah. 



> I read Unexpected Kindness by Roonblah (http://www.raisinghellions.com/fiction/viewstory.php?sid=515&ageconsent=ok&warning=) and couldn't stand the story not being finished. So I wrote a continuation of it for myself.

 

"'I don't know.' That's what she said! Can you believe that?" Max huffed in frustration and walked off camera as she began pacing. Logan adjusted his earpiece and nodded. The empathy on his face went unnoticed as Max paced past her screen.

"That must be very frustrating to h- "

"She doesn't know what she's doing." Max's waist went another pass across Logan's screen. "I shouldn't have left Alec with her. What if she's making him worse? He has bruises from days ago that still haven't healed!" She stomped to a stop. All Logan could see was her elbow, perched on her hip at an angry 90 degree angle.

"Max. Max, would you sit down? I can't see you."

"Oh. Sorry." She plopped down and swung back in the old office chair to face him.

"Whatever is happening to Alec is something novel. Dr. Shankar may not know exactly what it is yet, but she's a very good doctor and experienced in working with transgenics _and_ has access to lab equipment. You know that; that's why you brought him to her, isn't it?" Max nodded but still looked like she was attempting to kill something past her screen with her eyes. "You gave her the blood samples two hours ago. Give her some time."

Time. Logan was right. Max had no right to blame Dr. Shankar for not whipping up a cure for Alec within a few days when she was the one who wasted two weeks fuming at him from afar for what she thought was laziness. Her features softened as she thought about how pale Alec had looked, tottering with the duffel, away from her. She hoped that the blood samples would provide enough information for Dr. Shankar to make him better, so she could stop worrying about his stupid ass.

"Hey, I got some good news for ya. There's a - I guess you might say pro-transgenic - group that's formed, attracting a lot more supporters than the media predicted - doesn't have an official name yet, but their slogan is 'people for all peoples.' Kinda catchy, isn't it? They're arguing for recognition of personhood for all sentient beings regardless of genetic makeup."

"Huh." She shrugged. "Sounds nice." Logan sensed her skepticism.

"Hey, it wasn't that long ago that people feared and mistreated other people for the color of their skin, or sexual orientation."

"Yeah, now the class stratification in our society is so diverse at all levels." She said sarcastically.

"Max."

"Sorry. It's - " She paused. "I know I started this thing and I'm kinda their leader now, but sometimes, it's hard... to hope."

 

~~

 

Max stood outside Beverly Shankar's apartment with an olive branch in her backpack. A package of Twizzlers that Joshua, of all people, helped her find. It was something she wouldn't eat unless she was starving, but Alec loved the stuff. Most pre-Pulse candy was inedible, if still in existence. But the small segment of the population that enjoyed Twizzlers maintained that the candy was of the same quality, decades after production. In the post-Pulse era, Twizzlers occupied the strange intersection of junk food, cultural relic, and delicacy.

Dr. Shankar opened the door, looking as if she had been expecting her. "Hi, Max. Have you eaten? We were just about to have dinner. Come join us."

"Okay." Max smiled brightly. She was not one to turn down an offered meal. Like most transgenics, she could always eat.

"Hi, Max." Alec said, looking up at her briefly. He'd lost weight - enough that it was beginning to show on his face. In just a few days. Or, Max thought, maybe it'd been happening all along and she just hadn't noticed before.

"Hey," she smiled at him, but he'd already looked away.           

As they ate, Max told a curious Dr. Shankar about happenings in Terminal City. They didn't talk about why Max was there and there was no mention of Logan or Max's genetic makeup. Alec picked at his food quietly, the same sullen look on his face that he'd worn since their relocation to Terminal City. As Max polished off her plate, she saw that Alec had eaten less than half of his meal.

Alec caught her looking, and stood up with the plate in his hand. "I'll leave you two ladies to catch up," he drawled. He made it a few steps away from the table before there was a crash. Max and Dr. Shankar turned at the sound, to see Alec standing over the plate that had been in his hand. He looked confused about why it was suddenly on the floor in pieces - then - extremely, adorably, embarrassed. "Sorry," he apologized softly to the plate.

"It's alright. Not a big deal. Come on." Dr. Shankar put a hand on his back and guided him to the couch, sat him down. Max watched from the kitchen as Dr. Shankar leaned down and spoke with him quietly. Transgenic hearing should have picked up on what she was saying, but Max was having a hard time hearing anything over the white noise in her head that had been growing since Alec had stood up at the table. Alec shook his head at something Dr. Shankar said. Nodded. She nodded back, spoke some more, then stood up and returned to the kitchen. Where Max was trying very hard to keep her expression neutral.

"His dexterity hasn't improved." _Obviously_.

"Has anything?" Max asked in a small voice.

Dr. Shankar cleared her throat. "Thanks to the blood samples and having him here for observation, I've been able to pinpoint the key mechanism of what's happening. His immune system isn't shutting down - it's just... distracted. It's an autoimmune disorder. They're known for being difficult to diagnose and treat, because the immune system can attack any part of the body. I was so focused before on finding an external pathogen. The idea of a transgenic having a communicable disease is crazy..." she shrugged, "but it seemed to me slightly less crazy than the idea of a transgenic's body attacking itself."             

"So... what's the treatment?"              

"It depends on the cause of the disorder. For some, it's as simple as eliminating exposure to an allergen. Barring that, immunosuppresants and medications to support whichever system is being attacked. He's taking a sleep aid that seems to be working. The main problem is adrenal insufficiency - his body is not producing enough cortisol. I gave him hydrocortisone tablets at a dosage increase similar to the sleep aid, but it metabolizes differently, which is unfortunate, but not surprising. The medications have different chemical structures, and we only need the sleep aid to be effective for a short amount of time whereas his cortisol level needs to be maintained at all times for him to regain normal functioning."             

"So, he just needs to keep taking a lot of those - hydrowhatever tablets - to get better?" Max wanted to hear.             

"It's not that simple. The hydrocortisone tablets produce some improvement even at the highest human-level dosage - but it lasts only for maybe five to ten minutes, regardless of how much he takes. I haven't given him anymore since the first test administrations because constant rapid changes in cortisol level are not safe nor comfortable. I'm trying to understand what caused the change in his immune function in the first place. That would help. More than playing whack-a-mole with his immune system."            

Max nodded, disappointment plain on her face.              

She padded to the couch and sat down with ample space between her and Alec, almost at the other end. The tv was on, volume low to human ears but just fine for a transgenic's comfortable viewing. Max dug into her bag.             

"Got you some plastic rope." She held out the peace offering. He glanced at it. Bit his lip. Reached out and accepted it with a small smile.             

"Thanks."              

She grinned at him. "Joshua misses you. Is she treating you okay here?"             

He nodded slowly at the television. "It's kinda boring here," he admitted. "But I haven't - " he shook his head. Reached into his pant pocket and pulled a cell phone out. He shoved it at her. "Here."             

Max looked at it, confused. "Alec, I have a phone."              

He rolled his eyes at her. "It has my contacts in it. I'm letting you borrow it to get it to Logan." He paused and flicked his eyes around the room, looking almost shy when he said, "Hey - sorry about - being an ass before. I don't know why I wouldn't want you to have it."              

"Thanks." Her hand made contact with his as she accepted the phone, but instead of letting go, Max wrapped her hand around Alec's fingers around the phone, pressed. Alec gave her a *what the hell are you doing look*, but she didn't let go. Her other hand wrapped around his forearm and she slid to his end of the couch, like a roleplay of lifeguard and drowning victim. She suddenly appeared very close to his face, kneeling on the couch almost on his lap, one hand on his forehead, one on his shoulder. "Alec, you're running a fever."              

"I'm fine." He shook her off and peered up at her. She looked ridiculously worried. "It's not that bad," he assured her.              

Max dropped down on her knees but didn't move away. This wasn't supposed to happen. X5s don't get sick. X5s don't wobble when they walk or drop plates. For the first time, Max wished Alec _did_ have the shakes. At least then, she would know how to help him.              

"How are you feeling otherwise?"             

A deeply melancholic, very un-Alec-like sigh. "Freakin useless," he said to his knees. Chewing on his thumbnail, he added, "Angry. About being useless."              

"You're not - this isn't Manticore, stupid. Don't worry about being useful, no one's angry with you for not being useful."              

He glared at her. _You were_.

"No one's... " she tucked her chin and looked away, feeling awkward. " ...angry with you... anymore..." Max frowned. Political speeches aside, she was never very good at finding the right words when it mattered. She had been angry with him, for that exact reason. But it seemed justifiable at the time. She hadn't known that he was ill. She sucked in a breath and began again, voice louder, defensive "Look, I - "             

"It's okay, Maxie," Alec said, holding her gaze with a genuine smile, chuckling. She felt the heat of his hand through her jeans as he patted her leg comfortingly. "Really, it's fine."

 

~~

               

Max was looking at plumbing repair options for Terminal City at Logan's place when Alec's phone rang for the first time. She let it ring. Twenty minutes later, it rang again. Figures Alec would ruin her concentration even when he was absent. She picked it up with the intention of turning it off, then saw the caller ID. Bunny. Without intending to snoop, Max scrolled through the call history to see that "Bunny" had only one previously connected call. Cassanova strikes again. Women fell in love with Alec left and right. Max didn't get it. She could see why some might find him good-looking, but what else did he have to offer? Besides, he was one of the most disgusting people she'd ever met. The image of Alec sitting in early morning light with his socked foot up on the kitchen table, cheeks bulging with more than his fair share of orange slices, flicking eye crusties at her, was forever seared into her mind. _That_ was the Alec she knew.             

It was very tempting to pick up the phone and tell Bunny about the real Alec, but Max wouldn't. She was a better person than that. She set the phone to silent.

 

~~

               

"Ordinaries at the gate!" The announcement echoed throughout Terminal City. Within a few moments, no one but those on guard duty remained visible from the gate entry. Two ordinaries - a woman dressed in slim-fitted jeans and a pink suit jacket, and a man, slightly shorter than the woman, holding video camera equipment. They walked through the gate with guns trained on them from above. The man was very clearly frightened and doing a valiant job of trying to hide it. The woman studied her surroundings as if she was in a museum.              

"Who are you?" Max demanded, walking at a clipped pace towards them.              

"Rabbit Bowens, reporter for the National Current," pink suit lady extended her hand. She looked over her shoulder - "And this is my cameraman, Mike. And you must be Max. Pleased to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."             

"What are you doing here?" Max ignored Rabbit's outstretched hand.              

"Um," the woman surveyed the empty surroundings apprehensively. "May I speak with Alec? X5 designation 494? I assumed you would be expecting us for the interview - just not this soon."              

Max rolled her eyes. Of course Alec would arrange for an interview for himself and not tell anyone.                           

"Sorry, lady. Alec's not around."              

"This is Terminal City..." A confused chuckle. "...where else would he be?"             

Right. They were still under siege. The ordinaries didn't know it was only moderately challenging for most transgenics to go past their barriers.             

"He just... can't be interviewed right now."              

Rabbit looked disappointed. Then, nervous. "Look, I'm on deadline and only have a couple hours. I've pretty much promised my editor exclusive material, giving a face to the transgenic movement, new perspective...." She scanned the empty surroundings again. " Is there someone else we could interview - " she added hastily, "Someone human-looking? Cute?" Off Max's sour look, "Look, you gotta ease people into this. First impression needs to have wide-appeal, lasting positive emotional impact. That first association will help all of you in the long-run, trust me."             

Max considered for a moment, then stepped away to confer with the transhumans who hadn't fled - those on guard duty, plus Dix and Mole.              

"Send her away, Max." Dix said immediately. "You can't trust ordinaries."              

"She's probably here to gather intelligence," added Sharpe, a dark, reptilian man.              

"I doubt she's here for _that_." Max glanced back at Rabbit and Mike. "Cameraman looks about ready to piss himself."              

"Look, she's here to interview Alec, Alec's not here. She leaves, end of story." Dix concluded.              

"Where is that boy anyway?" Mole asked. More an expression of annoyance than curiosity. He continued. "This could be good for us. I mean, reporters aren't exactly lining up out there. And I know this is hard to hear, but - look at us. You think ordinaries would watch an interview with you? With me?" The group was silent for a momenet, considering the truth of what he'd said.             

"Alright." Max said. "Here's what we're gonna do. We find her someone to interview, they stay up there" - she indicated a small room in the upper level of the building from which they conduct surveillance - "before they leave, we search them and check the footage." She looked around to nods of approval.              

Bunny and Mike were secured in the interview room, and Max and Mole went scouting. As they walked further into Terminal City, transgenics reappeared hesitantly.             

"It's gotta be X-series," Mole muttered.              

"I know," answered Max.             

"Got someone in mind?"             

"No."             

"Maybe someone young? X6 or 7? No, 7s wouldn't interview well; they're too young."              

"Hey, what do you have against my generation?" Max asked lightly with a smile.             

"No offense, Max, but you X5's aren't exactly the most cheerful or friendly individuals. Formative years spent at Manticore - or on the run" - he tilted his head at Max - "So close to being normal, but not quite making it? X5s are bitter. Rigid. Cold."              

"Okay, I get it," Max said in a voice that confirmed Mole's point.             

"Alec is actually fun." Max glared at Mole and resisted the urge to describe exactly how not fun Alec could be. Mole continued to muse over X5 behavior. "Was he was poorly socialized or something?"

 

~~

               

The days following the interview passed quickly for Max, emergency after meeting after meeting after closely-avoided disaster. It seemed that everything and everyone demanded her attention. She didn't tell Alec about Rabbit's visit. When the interview aired, she called him.              

"Same old," he said, when she asked him how he was doing.              

"Do you have the tv on?"              

"Yeah." He was in the kitchen though.              

"Turn on channel 3C." She couldn't hide her excitement.             

"Okay." She couldn't see how slowly he was shuffling toward the remote.              

Rabbit's face was on the screen, describing her visit to Terminal City before introducing her interviewees.              

"Oh my God, I completely forgot to call her back. When did this happen?"              

"Coupla days ago. You weren't around, so we had to find someone else just as cute - "              

"Aw, Max you - "             

" - her words, not mine." Max added dryly.              

The interviewees ended up being two someones - Dalton and a waifish X5 named Lillian.            

Max expected Alec to whine about missing out on his chance at fame, take up her precious time relating what he had planned on saying, then blindsiding her with a ridiculously frivolous request, which she must, of course, fulfill, given the guilt she must feel at having wronged him. She waited.             

There was only silence between them as they watched.              

"Huh," Alec said. He had no idea Dalton's vocabulary was so extensive and nuanced. He became upbeat as Lillian spoke of her adolescence. "Good choice, Max. They look good; they look completely non-threatening." Tears appeared, tracked down Lillian's perfect complexion. "Oh. Oh, wow. I want to hug them myself," he said, sounding more amused than empathetic.              

The interview ended. Max waited for Alec to say something.              

"I gotta get back. You wouldn't believe how much work it takes to get a hold of a single pipe replacement." She paused. "I'll come by soon, okay?"

 

~~

 

               

The interview with Dalton and Lillian had a larger effect than Max, or any of the transgenics in Terminal City, had hoped for. The People for All Peoples movement grabbed the opportunity to snowball in numbers. Ongoing protests calling for the eradication of transgenics were met by counter protests in support of humane treatment of transgenics, organized by the People for All Peoples. A curfew was imposed to regain some semblance of order, but it caused the protests - which were previously limited to evening hours - to stretch into day-long events. Supporters of transgenic rights from all backgrounds were coming to Seattle from out of state to join in mass protests: the anti-military, social progressives, religious clergy and their followers, transgender and gender freedom activists... Max was shocked by it all.              

On the second day of protest, Max got a call from Rabbit.             

"Hi, Max."              

"Hi."              

"I suppose you've seen the interview with your people when it aired?"             

"Yeah. Nice editing work." What was aired had enhanced lighting, blended Dalton and Lillian's narratives to flow together, was cut to make every pause poignant, and included, at times, background music.              

Max had seen the raw footage. It included many pauses in which the interviewees considered or consulted with Max about how much and what should be shared. Lillian's footage also showed long moments of confusion or blank stares at questions the answers of which she must by logic know, but could not remember. Her placid face reminded Max of Alec, staring at the buzzer at the Berrisford estate, Alec, in the days following Rachel's death. Even after he'd come back to work, come back to hang out at Crash, there were small pauses, glitches in his facial expressions, that Max didn't think he or anyone else was aware of. She knew that look now - the absence of expression hiding the chaos underneath from even its wearer. Going away when the present was unbearable. The last resort self-soothing technique of someone brought up in Manticore, where observable suffering was punished by further suffering.

"My supervisor was pleased. We're the first and so far the only media outlet to air this kind of content, and I'd like to keep it that way. I'd like to come back to Seattle, in a few days, to do more interviewing. What do you say?"             

"Sounds fine. Tell me one thing, though - " Max paused, wondering if she would get an honest answer. "Why are you doing this?"             

Rabbit considered. "I'd be lying if I said career advancement wasn't a big part of it. But it was my sister, Kitty, who floated the idea to me in the first place. She used to work with Alec. Put me in touch with him."              

Max sat down on her bed. Gears in her head shifted, adjusting to an answer she was not expecting. Kitty. A fellow Jam Pony messenger, with a light brown bob and a sweet face. She almost never spoke, due to an awful stutter that caused discomfort for most people and led them to end the conversation as quickly as possible. There were only two circumstances Max knew of in which Kitty's stutter would ease, if not disappear: when she was repeating the same few short phrases necessary to complete a delivery, and when she was speaking with Alec. The first time Max caught them speaking with each other, she dropped what she was doing to put an end to it, certain that Alec was taunting her. But he wasn't. Alec, with his chameleon-like charm, was casually leaning against the pick up counter, as if he had all the time in the world. He would wait, no matter how long it took Kitty to get her words out. And then wait a little bit longer, to make sure she had said all she'd meant to say. Then, he would pick up his end of the conversation as if he was speaking with any other person. The words came more easily, when Kitty was assured that the wait wasn't a problem. Then again - Max could never be sure if it was merely a matter of perception. Perhaps Kitty's stutter never did get better around Alec but his acceptance of it created this strange time wrap around them where the pacing of their converation was the norm while the rest of Jam Pony sped around them.              

"People would always treat my sister differently because of this one little thing - she has a stutter. It's just one thing, but most people can't get past it. It takes time... for her to express herself. Time most people don't have. Alec was one of only a handful of people willing to interact with her beyond basic necessities. For Kitty to be heard and seen... it means a lot to both of us. And with everything that's been happening recently, made sense to return the favor."             

They had done more than return the favor. By the time Max got off the phone with Rabbit, the dim roar from outside had grown to a concerning volume. Max hoped that Terminal City wasn't having its first riot.              

When she got to what became known as _the Commons_ , she was relieved to see that there seemed to be no conflict at hand. Many more than usual TC residents were gathered, talking loudly amongst themselves, making comments as they watched the various screens in the large open space. All the screens were turned to one channel - showing Seattle's streets flooded with people - more precisely, the People for All Peoples. The sheer volume provided by the out-of-town protesters made an impressive view; aerial footage showed the People snaking around nearly three sectors with scattered satellites on the move to join in. It was clear: public opinion was turning against the Seattle police.             

Max grinned. She spotted Joshua a few feet away and moved to tug at his hand.              

"C'mon." She pointed her head to the small scattering of X6's and transhumans leaving the Commons for the roof. Max and Joshua followed them, and a good number of transgenics followed Max. The congregation on the roof could see most of Sector Nine's streets filled with people, density highest around the barricades.              

"Well, I'll be damned." Mole muttered.              

The transhumans stood politely behind the smaller X6's and wore expressions of perplexity. Max turned and smiled at all of them. It was alright to be glad. This was something to be glad about. This wasn't some treat Manticore would offer then snatch away in order to assert control. These people were free agents, and they each chose to be here, to support and acknowledge the personhood of beings who were literally products of a now defunct lab.              

Max spotted something that would have been little more than reddish pinpoints to an ordinary but was made disaggregated and clear by her transgenic vision.             

"Joshua." Max tugged at his sleeve. "Joshua. They've made t-shirts with your flag on it. What do you think of that?" Max gazed up at him, feeling a prickling behind her eyes even as she laughed in incredulity.             

Joshua nodded slowly, commented with his heavily art-world skewned vocabulary: "Flattery. O-okay no trademark." He broke into a large, toothy smile. "Should tell Alec. Biggest fan."

 

~~

 

               

Max couldn't wait until nightfall. It was in the afternoon that she picked Dr. Shankar's lock and let herself in silently. The distraction of the protests had made her trip too easy. She was feeling playful and wanted to surprise Alec. He had done the same thing to her many times. She always acted annoyed, but was secretly delighted there was someone who cared enough to prank her - and was _capable_ of it.              

She crouched down and moved towards her target. Her unassuming target. Yep. He was so focused on his boob tube. This should be easy. She leaned over his shoulder and spoke into his ear.             

"Hey."              

Alec jumped. She laughed. He didn't look amused. She was taken aback for a moment by his pallor but covered it quickly.              

"What, you can dish it out but can't take it?" She said as she ruffled his hair before hopping over to sit down. "These music videos are going to rot your brain. What little is left of it anyway." Alec snorted. "Seen the news lately?"             

"Yep... public opinion says we're people now." The two thumbs up he made looked as sarcastic as any physical gesture could. That was fine. Many in Terminal City found it hard to believe. Hard to believe that it would last. Or bitter, that their personhood was new and somehow granted to them by ordinaries rather than recognized. She got it. Dangerous to hope. Self-preservation.              

"You're gonna love this." She scooted over on the couch, crowding him in a rare role reversal. "You know that flag Joshua painted?" Alec nodded wearily. "The ordinaries made t-shirts with that flag on it. Our flag." Her words and earnest excitement got only a quirked eyebrow, a small chuckle that faded quickly.              

"That's great, Max," he said, voice flat. He aimed the remote, changed the channel on his thumb's third attempt.              

"Alec." He was sulking again. "Hey, I know this" - she spread her arms around to indicate the apartment he was effectively trapped in - "sucks, but I thought you'd at least be happy for Joshua."              

"I am." He said quietly, eyes still on the television.              

"Well, you don't seem like it. Hey. Look at me."              

"I can't," he said, his voice suddenly hard.             

"What?"              

"I can't - " He turned to face her, looking achingly young. His voice decreased in volume as he spoke, sliding into a whisper: "I can't see clearly out of my right eye. Max, I'm scared."             

She looked at him blankly for a moment before hesitantly putting an arm on his shoulder. Alec let her pull him close to her. He shuddered in the embrace but didn't make a sound. Max blinked rapidly over his shoulder at the window. The sills blurred as she rubbed circles on his back. She was about the worst person in the world to be sitting with him right now. She was the one who wanted to cry in his arms.

 

~~

 

               

Max stayed through the afternoon, into the evening. She made a few phone calls to TC, helped herself with minimal guilt to snacks in the cupboards.              

She didn't know why, but Max found herself telling Alec all about Ben - the Ben she knew and loved - about the blue lady, the Good Place, the system of meaning that comforted and gave hope to the group of children that was her unit. They sat on the couch as she talked, facing a screen that neither of them were really watching.              

"If it hadn't been for those stories, meetings at the High Place, all of it really... everything he created and got us to believe - " She hesitated, wondering if what she was going to say next would bring forth the same bitterness and resentment seething from her clone. It hurt Max to think of what Alec had to endure because of her unit's escape, but she sensed that he had forgiven her. He'd never mentioned it apart from complaining about the extra trip to psy ops at their first meeting.              

Max took a deep breath and, for the first time since Ben's death, thought of him with a smile. "If it hadn't been for him, we probably wouldn't have even thought about escaping."              

Alec gave a faint smile with no resentment. "Sounds like a nice brother to have."              

"He was," Max concluded, hugging one of the couch cushions to her. She shifted slightly and turned her attention back to the tv.              

Then, Alec said something that completely threw her for a loop. The question came quiet and slow. "Do you wish I were him?" He added almost reluctantly, "Is that why you put up with me?" They looked at each other in silence, he waiting for an answer, her aghast at the question.              

If he had asked the same question a few months ago, the answer to the first question would have been an unequivocal yes. It had taken her time to get over her perceived unfairness of Ben leaving her forever while someone as selfish and shallow as Alec lived wearing his face. But now... if there was an option between a living Ben, his mind whole and well again, and Alec, as is, ... it would be an impossible choice. But she couldn't figure out why. She knew she had been unreasonably negative in her initial judgment of Alec, but she couldn't yet name one thing she particularly _liked_ about him. She didn't know why she put up with him. The help that he provided her was about equal to the challenges of having him around. And that was somehow just fine. Her mind had formed in stealth an affirmation without reason, without question - Alec was just a part of her life, and that was that.              

Alec shook his head. "Never mind." He got up and shuffled off to the bathroom, leaving Max with her mouth still gaping and silent. Max thought about what she should say when he returned, how to answer without wounding him more than she already had. The right words eluded her. She couldn't make sense of her own thoughts.              

Alec came back with his mouth full, munching on mini pretzels. He held the open bag out to Max. She shook her head. He shrugged and flopped down, turning his attention to a marine predators documentary they'd agreed to watch after much haggling.             

Max couldn't focus on the documentary at all; her mind raced with the possibilities of what she could have said, what Alec now thought he was to her, what she could say now without making it seem like she was just being polite. During a commercial break, Max blurted out "I don't." She turned to him, needing him to believe her. "When I look at you, I don't even think of him anymore." She didn't mention that it was near impossible to recall Ben's solemn idealism with Alec's uniquely irritating facial quirks and irreverent laugh, that what she did think of was impending disaster and wheedling interruptions to her life - and an inexplicable happiness that was not in spite of but threaded in these things.              

Alec pursed his lips, nodded, and turned his attention back to the screen.              

The sun set as the second segment of the documentary ended. They both slouched further and further into the couch. With the way she felt, Max decided it would be time for a few hours of sleep once she got back to Terminal City.              

"Mind if I lie down?" Max glanced at him and shrugged. The request was strange. Alec never asked permission to sprawl out on a piece of furniture - regardless of who it belonged to or who was present. He wedged a small throw pillow against her leg and curled up very carefully. Once he was lying down, she could see why he'd chosen that position. Bandaging on his shoulder peeked out under the t-shirt. She leaned over him and lifted the edge of it.             

"Oh my God, Alec..." His wound hadn't healed, it was inflamed with red lines running away from it. The skin around it was hot to the touch.              

"Hey, why're you fiddling with it?"              

"What the hell was in that bullet? Has Dr. Shankar seen this?"             

"Yeah, of course." He re-arranged the pillow, carelessly shoving at her leg, and plopped his head back down. "She's got me on full-spectrum antibiotics for it."              

Max re-sealed the bandage and very carefully pulled his sleeve back down. She didn't know how long she'd stared at his shoulder before she realized that he'd fallen asleep. She examined the tone of his skin, the faint shadows spreading under both eyes, and wondered if he had looked this tired the last time she saw him. There was something about Alec's breathing that bothered her - it was abnormally loud. Only slightly louder than ordinaries', but louder than how they normally breathed. He'd said the fever wasn't that bad before, but what she felt on his skin now couldn't be comfortable, even for an X5.              

Max tried to tamp down on the worry that had been gnawing in her stomach since their first visit to Dr. Shankar. They needed to figure out how to get his immune system back to normal, now. Yesterday. Max was going to wait for Dr. Shankar to return, and then they were going to have a talk. She didn't have anywhere else to be.

 

~~

 

               

Dr. Shankar returned to her apartment to find two transgenics asleep on her couch. Alec was curled on his side with most of his face pressed into a pillow wedged against Max's leg. Max had one hand dangling across an armrest and the other buried in Alec's hair. It was an endearing sight, though with a slight change in angle, Max would be suffocating Alec. Dr. Shankar cleared her throat and gently tapped on Max's arm. "Max." Max startled awake from the touch, causing Alec to startle awake from the sharp pull on his scalp.              

"Ow!" He jerked his head away, protesting loudly. "Watch it, Max! That's attached!"              

Dr. Shankar laughed. "Alec, it's about time for your meds. I'll be back in a minute."             

Max looked down at Alec and at the retreating figure of Dr. Shankar. An old but good retort regarding the contents of his head - or lack thereof - was on the tip of her tongue.              

"Shut up. Stay here." She commanded.             

A mock salute made too difficult by the bum shoulder, Alec flashed an affirmative call sign with his hands and a winning grin.              

Max followed Dr. Shankar into the kitchen.              

"He's getting worse, isn't he?" Max tried to keep her voice low and clear of accusation. "His wound's infected. And there's a new bruise on his head. Did he go outside and try to get back to Terminal City?"          

Dr. Shankar shook her head as she filled a glass with water. "Sink." Max cocked her head in confusion. "He fainted in the bathroom."            

"Oh." Max blinked, tried to remember what she'd meant to say to Dr. Shankar.              

"I'm running into a wall, with treatments for his symptoms. Given the change in his condition - " Dr. Shankar paused. "Max... are there other people - friends - Alec might want to see, in Terminal City? Who could be here with him? If so, they should come before - "              

Dr. Shankar's back was suddenly against the wall. Max's forearm pressed into her throat. "Don't you dare say that," Max hissed. "You are not giving up on him. You are going to keep trying and you are not going to stop trying until you _fix_ him, do you understand me?!"              

"Cur-" Dr. Shankar choked out. Max eased her hold slightly. "Before - they lift the curfew," she said between coughs. Right. Vigilantes for a transgenic-free America back on the streets at night would make safe travel difficult for any visitors. Max let go and stepped back. "He shouldn't be here by himself during the day," Dr. Shankar explained, rubbing her throat.              

"I - I'm sorry. I -- " Max shook her head. She backed up a few feet holding her hands in front of her. "We're not dangerous..." Well, that wasn't exactly true. "I mean, we're not... bad people... please..." Max struggled visibly to find the right words. Her eyes were round, childlike, pleading. _You have to make him better._     

Dr. Shankar nodded. There was sympathy, not fear in her eyes. "I understand."

 

~~

 

               

Max had been debating the idea in her head, concerned about causing mass panic. But she finally put the alert out that one of the X-series was ill and the illness was precipitated by a gunshot wound. Anyone who sustained an injury outside of Terminal City - no matter how small - were to report to medic. Anyone with specialized knowledge about transgenic biology and anyone with information pertinent to locating or identifying former Manticore doctors were to report to Max immediately.              

As she expected, the questions came in a cascade. She could have sworn every single one of the X series approached her with some variation of _"But Max, that's impossible!"/ "How is that possible?"/ "Are you sure he's X series?"_               

The hardest question came hours after the announcement, once Max was alone and the other X6's were at dinner. "It's Alec, isn't it? He wasn't doing so well, the day we got here, and I haven't seen him around. Is he going to die?" Dalton bit his lip, peered at Max as if she must somehow know the answer.             

Max took a deep breath and knelt down to Dalton's eye level. "Yeah, it's Alec. And not if I can help it."              

Max returned to her office for her scheduled call with Logan. She let him rave about the outpouring of support from outside, which she would be just as excited about, under different circumstances. It _was_ really amazing, the amount of support they were getting, from people who didn't even know any trangenics personally. Max didn't know why so many people cared. Max kept glancing at the telephone on the desk furtively, waiting for an update from Joshua or Original Cindy. They had volunteered to stay with Alec in shifts. Alec had bristled at the idea of being babysat, but he couldn't exactly complain about the company. Not with Joshua being his best friend and with OC being... well, OC. Max tried to push her worry in the background of her mind, reminded herself that she had other responsibilities, that Alec was in good hands.             

She had been putting off telling Logan about the change in her DNA. The excuse she gave herself was that In the short term, nothing in their interactions would change. With him not knowing, it still didn't feel quite real. But she had to tell him eventually. He deserved to know.             

"Logan - " she interrupted his reading of an editorial written by one of the People's protest leaders. "Listen... there was something else - "              

The phone rang and she jumped for it. The person on the other line had already finished speaking by the time Max realized it wasn't Joshua or OC calling her.              

"Max, Max I have good news. Yesterday, two X6's got shot on a supply run." It was Bel, one of the medic team leads who knew the full story of what was happening with Alec.             

"Our people getting shot is good news now...?"              

"Well, one of them died, but the other - it was just a graze on her side. And it hasn't healed. And she's getting sick. Just like Alec."

 

~~

 

               

Bel was waiting for Max by the entry of what doubled as her office and an evaluation room. Max had said a hasty goodbye to Logan, relieved about not having to tell him just yet about her DNA. She also hadn't told him how Alec was during her most recent visit to Dr. Shankar. Max had the illogical but not uncommon belief that not talking about something made the thing seem smaller, easier to deal with.              

"It's Tucker." Bel said. "Her wound hasn't healed. Also, she's... not acting like herself."             

As if to demonstrate, one of the medical assistants ran out of the room, barely dodging a metal tray being thrown at her.             

Bel gave Max a _proceed with caution_ look before they entered the room.              

Tucker was seated on the exam bed, looking more frightened than hostile. She began to cry. "What's happening to me? Why is this" - she indicated the wound at her side - "still here? Am I defective? Tell me! Am I defective?"             

Sensing a possible return to hostility, Bel spoke to Tucker soothingly while preparing a sedative for injection. Max didn't know Tucker personally, but she was certain the behavior she was observing was not normal for any X5. Tucker became quiet, likely from embarrassment rather than the drug administered only moments ago. As Bel set the bed to recline, she filled Max in on Tucker's condition. She had all the symptoms Alec had: inability to heal, weakness, trembling, irritability...

Max should have seen it earlier. Alec tended to be purposefully infuriating, but he was never just plain aggressive. Alec normally would show his face at least once a day to annoy her - but she hadn't seen him for two weeks after he got shot, and thought nothing of it. It was her job to save his ass, and she had failed to look out for him in the most obvious way. Trasgenics who had escaped from Manticore in some ways were like babies in the real world. What do you do when you're injured in the field? Hole up and wait for transgenic healing to do its work. You don't call attention to yourself by going to a local doctor, and you certainly don't announce it to the world if you were failing to heal. It was a mark of Alec's trust in her that he'd mentioned it to her at all. She tried to remember what he had said, in that whiny tone of his - in hindsight, hiding fear. Max, my shoulder hurts. It's not healing. I'm not going on the supply run. The last part was all she had heard, because the last part meant one more thing she had to worry about when she was already overwhelmed with demands from all sides.              

"Tell me you still have the bullet." Max said.              

"No bullet - it was a through-and-through. I'm sorry, Max. Still, tissue and blood samples from an earlier stage is better than nothing. We may learn more about the progression - " Bel stopped herself. Her eyes flicked from side to side as she considered. When she looked at Max they had the same thought in mind.              

The body wasn't hard to find. Max, for once, was grateful for an inefficiency in Terminal City. Once she had the tissue and blood sample and bullet in hand, she was on her way out the gates.

 

~~

 

               

Max felt a heaviness lifting from her chest as she made it past the TC gates, slipped through the barricades, and toed her bike onward. By the time she got to the apartment, she was almost cheerful. She knocked and waited. No one answered. After another try, Max let herself in. She slipped inside and shut the door. The apartment was quiet.             

"OC!" Max called. "Joshua! Alec? Where are you guys?" Max did a quick scan of the living room and kitchen. No one. Max frowned.              

She caught movement at an angle through the doorway of the bedroom that Alec was staying in. Joshua and Dr. Shankar were kneeling. As Max got closer, she saw that they were kneeling over someone. The stranger's face was pale, almost gray. Closed eyes, sunken and ringed with darkness. A sheen of sweat made a glistening line on the edge of his cheek. Joshua and Dr. Shankar spoke to each other. None of it made sense to Max. That wasn't Alec being lifting off the floor. That wasn't Alec who made a small whimpering sound as he was placed on the bed. She closed her eyes. Opened them. Backed out of the room.              

"Opportunistic infection. They can take over quickly when the immune system is down." Dr. Shankar was talking to her. Max found herself sitting on the couch, in the same spot she was when she was finally able to tell someone about the Ben she knew and loved. But it wasn't Alec sitting by her, spewing pretzel crumbs into the crevices of the couch. "Max, are you with me? Max."              

Max willed her thoughts away and reported to Dr. Shankar about Tucker, handed over the samples.              

The samples were important clues, but just clues. Max wondered bleakly about the likelihood of a cure being devised and produced within the time Alec had left. She stood up to follow Dr. Shankar as she prepared to leave for the hospital.             

"Max?" Dr. Shankar said gently. "It's alright if you want to stay with him."             

Max shook her head fervently. "No. It's late. We'll be safer and faster on my bike." It was true; precaution was needed. It wasn't the real reason for Max's insistence on coming along . "I just need a minute."            

With every step Max took back toward Alec, her mind screamed at her to turn back. His hair was soft and damp under her fingers. He looked wrong; she had never seen him so quiet and still, with the coloring of an exhausted ordinary. She leaned down and tipped her head toward his, approximating an angle she and OC had perfected, without touching. She could hear nothing but his breathing, shallow and too quick. Her voice wavered between hard and clipped, and soft and threatening to break, "Just hang on, okay? I won't forgive you if you die on me."

 

~~

 

               

The research building of the hospital was dark and empty. For once, Dr. Shankar was grateful that the hospital was underfunded. It meant that security was stretched thin, allocated to only areas with patients during off hours. It wasn't as if she didn't have the right to be there - but this late at night, holding these samples, with a transgenic at her side... these factors would certainly raise questions. She entered the lab she shared with three other colleagues with Max following. Flipped the lights and looked around. Right. Lack of funds also meant research equipment wasn't the best performing. She should have gotten used to it now, but every time she stepped into that lab, she couldn't help but long for the kind of equipment she used to work with.              

"Max, this may take awhile." _Just to get these damn things turned on and calibrated_ , she thought to herself. "You can wait if you want, but it would be fine for you to go back now."              

"But how will you get home?" Max asked, a little too quickly.              

"There's a cab service for staff completing shifts off peak hours," she tilted her head in the direction of the main building even though there were no windows in the room. "I think I should be safe making it to the next building over."              

Max shook her head. "No. I'll wait."             

Dr. Shankar didn't comment or ask why. Just nodded and went about waking up her part of the lab.

 

~~

 

               

Max decided to explore the building as Dr. Shankar worked. She wasn't going to steal medical equipment. But if she came upon some particular things Terminal City needed, it would be wrong for her not to take them, on behalf of Terminal City. And of course they would pay for it later.              

There was no one else in the wing of the hospital but Dr. Shankar, one floor above. Max sat down in the hallway and pulled out her ever-expanding list of items needed in Terminal City. She scanned its contents, which she had arranged by category: durable goods, medical supplies, food...

The first sob ripped out of her without warning. Before Max could form any conscious understanding of what was happening, more followed in a flood. She let them take hold of her, in choked gasps.              

There was nothing more she could do. It wasn't possible for her to pause the passage of time. Her chest and shoulders quaked as the thought that her mind had been circling but would not approach made itself known. Alec was going to die in a matter of hours and it would be her fault. _Don't you see, 452? You're poison_. How could she have been so irresponsible? If she had checked on him – If she hadn't been so angry with him – Now it was too late. Everyone would tell her it wasn't her fault, Logan especially. They didn't know how predictable an X5 could be to other X5s. They didn't know what was happening now was the consequence of her choices.              

After a few minutes, Max quietened. She stared at the opposite wall, taking deep, calming breaths.              

"I can hear you, you know." Dr. Shankar stopped in her tracks and turned back. She revealed herself at the end of the hallway.              

"I didn't mean to intrude. I was just - "              

"It's fine." Max stood up, swiped her face with the back of her hand like a child, no grace whatsoever. "Sorry, I didn't mean to lose it back there."             

"No need to apologize, Max. It's completely normal to be upset when someone you love is ill."             

Someone she loved...? Max's mind recoiled at the word. The loud, cocky, constantly smirking, self-centered, flaky, messy, whiny generally annoying pain in her ass she couldn't get rid of? The one who insisted on telling her disgusting shit jokes when she was trying to focus on her delivery routes? The one who unapologetically found and ate _all_ of her caramel chocolates the day after Halloween? The one who wouldn't hesitate to ditch friends to chase after female company? The one who cheerfully gave no consideration for her personal space, ever? The one whose life she saved... when he was begging someone else to end it... The one whose life she chose, creating a rift between her and Logan (the man she _knew_ she loved) that may never be fixed... It was a choice she knew she would make over and over again, for no good reason - no reason at all. She just needed Alec to stick around. If that could also be called love, it sucked less but was a lot more weird than she thought it was.              

"What've you got?"              

What Dr. Shankar produced from her lab coat pocket was the last thing Max would expect - a semi-automatic handgun. The handle was of scuffed gray polymer. It was an old model, Max recognized, old enough that its cartridge size was no longer in production and very hard to come by.              

"Found this in the paper towel dispenser in the ladies' room."              

Dr. Shankar deftly released the magazine and held it up for Max to see. Inside the magazine was a single cartridge with a tiny fluid-filled blister point. Max was shocked that Dr. Shankar knew her way around a firearm, but Dr. Shankar didn't bat an eye to Max's reaction nor offer any explanation.            

"Max, whoever put this there has been watching me and planted this for me. Thanks to budget cuts and maternity leave, I'm currently the only woman in this lab unit. And - they apparently know that Alec is under my care and wants to help." She reached into her coat pocket and produced a small amber vial and a curled slip of paper with writing on it. She handed the paper to Max then strode to a supply closet a few feet away from where Max had been sitting. "All we need..." she unlocked and opened the closet door "...is some IV equipment."

 

~~

               

On the way back to Dr. Shankar's apartment. Max was glad that no one could see her face, with Dr. Shankar riding behind her and the streets dark and deserted. She had been successful in willing herself not to wallow in fear and guilt for the remainder of the time at the hospital, but memories came to her unbidden.             

_Alec...as in smart alec._

_God, I hate you!_ No one else in her life had ever made her so furious.              

 _I guess that makes me Medium Fella._ She had never smacked and shoved anyone else so instinctively.              

 _I'm sorry I let you out of Manticore. I'm sorry I inflicted you on the world._ No one else in her life had ever required so much looking after.              

 _I told you to ask for my help before it was too late and you messed everything up._ No one else had ever seen her cry.              

 _...or maybe...it's because I'm such a pain in the ass sometimes. See, I enjoy being a nuisance to you, Maxie. It makes me happy to see that special scowl you've developed, just for me... Fate brought us together to help you build character. And it's my honor -_ She had pushed Alec away at that point. Even as she worried for a moment something might happen to him, who made her so miserable.             

Somewhere between her giving him his name and her sending Joshua and company to him for help without a second thought, he'd weaseled himself into her life and became... someone she trusted. Someone important. Dear.              

Max shook her head, unsettled by her own thoughts as she got off her bike. When did she become such a big softie? If Alec lived, she would never tell him any of this. She would give him a good thump on the head for making her worry.

 

~~

               

Dr. Shankar set up the drip as soon as they returned from the hospital. She seemed to have sensed Max's impatience, advising before leaving the room, "Max, it'll be at least a few hours before any noticeable effect. This will restore his immune system but it won't get rid of the infection that's already there."              

As she waited, Max paced the perimeter of the bedroom, fingers tapping against her folded arms. She was still disturbed by how ill Alec looked, but she couldn't bring herself to leave the room. So she paced, her eyes kept to the floor, rarely straying to him. Others needed to sleep, but she didn't. Which was why hours later, she was the only one there when Alec opened his eyes and spoke.             

"I won't let them take you." His voice was soft but in his gaze was an uncharacteristically intense determination.             

"What?" Max asked, frowning down at him in confusion.             

"They'll try again tomorrow, but - " his smile was as soft as his voice. "I'll always remember you, Rachel. Promise." His words slurred and faded as his eyes fluttered shut. "I'll remember you. I'll remember..."              

Max bit her lip. She was glad no one else was witness to what he had said. She kind of wished she hadn't been either.              

"You did," she whispered, fingers instinctively reaching out and stroking his temple. He was burning up and - why the hell was she crying over some memory from Manticore that wasn't even hers? Max jumped up and ran to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face then stood with her face hanging down and dripping, hands propped on the edge of the sink. She squinted at the mirror, examining the redness around her eyes. It'd been too long since she last slept. And getting teary didn't help her appearance.              

Max returned to Alec's side with a folded washcloth soaked in cold water. She laid the cloth on his forehead and sat next to him, hoping he would keep his mouth shut, for once not from annoyance.              

"I'm going to talk your ear off for a change," she decided. She began with how she met Logan. Then she went back further and told Alec about how she met Original Cindy and got started at Jam Pony. She got up in interludes to rinse the washcloth and replace the cold compress. As the sun rose, Max described meeting Joshua for the first time, which led to her reminiscing about meeting Alec and her initial impression of him. She chuckled at the memories - the two of them tussling over the baseball, her indignation at him buying his way into her friends' favor. "I hated... _everything_ about you. Your laughing... your talking... your _breathing_ \- " Her monologue was interrupted by a quiet and husky request.              

"Max, would you shut up please? I'm tryin to sleep here."             

"Alec?" He struggled to open his eyes and to keep them open. It was a Herculean task; he couldn't remember ever feeling so groggy. Max came into focus. Her face loomed over him, a strange, wide-eyed expression he'd never seen before.             

"Wha' happened?" He shifted slightly and stifled a groan as every part of his body protested in pain. He was certain that he had had his ass handed to him by someone.             

Max sat back down and settled close to him, her forearm resting on the bed alongside his shoulder, her face inches away from his.             

"Biological warfare against transgenics. You were the first victim," she said lightly with a smile.             

"D'they get you too?" He slurred. That would explain it - he couldn't put his finger on it, but Max didn't look right. She didn't quite look like... Max.              

"What? No." She was taken aback by the question.              

"You sure?" He was going to figure this out. Figure out what's wrong with Max and then go back to fuzzy sweet sleep.             

"I'm fine."              

"You look weird." He accused in the strongest voice he could muster, attempting to make the narrowing of his eyes appear intentionally suspicious rather than hopelessly groggy.             

"Stop talking and go back to sleep," she snapped.              

Alec's eyes slipped shut on command. Max waited for a moment, surprised by his complete and immediate obedience. A small smile appeared on her face. _First time for everything_.

 

~~

 

               

The moment Dr. Shankar came out from her guest bedroom, Max and Joshua crowded her in the hallway.             

"Medium Fella okay?" Joshua asked. Both of them looked at her expectantly.              

"...Medium Fella?"              

Joshua nodded. Thumped his chest. "Big Fella." Pointed at Max. "Little Fella. Alec, Medium Fella."              

Dr. Shankar smiled. "His vitals are better. Looks like the infection is on its way out. I'd say Medium Fella is going to be fine."              

Max bit her lip, her eyes looking strangely bright. She turned away from Joshua and Dr. Shankar, mumbled something about being needed at Terminal City, and left abruptly.

 

~~

 

               

Alec was more alert the next time he woke up.              

"There he is. How you feelin, pretty boy?"              

Original Cindy was sitting by his side, one leg perched with ankle atop her knee. He did a quick survey of the room. Stifled a yawn and pushed himself into a less horizontal position. He still sort of had to look up at OC when he asked, "Where's Max?"             

"Terminal City. Duty called. I'll let her know you was asking for her."              

"No, I'm not - I just - Look, I think there might be something wrong with Max. Have you talked to her recently? Because the last time I saw her, she looked - different... " His eyes widened. "Another clone, maybe..."             

"You must be trippin on whatever drugs Dr. Shankar gave you. Just relax, aight? Max is Max. She looked different probably cuz she was tired and upset. That's it."              

"Upset." Alec frowned. "About what?"             

" _You_ , dummy." OC poked him in the chest, a small smile quirked in the corner of her mouth despite her exasperation.              

Alec shook his head, utterly confused. "But I didn't do anything! Wait, did I?" He'd been stuck in the apartment for the past few days. Napping for a good amount of that time. He couldn't have gotten into too much trouble. Could he...? He didn't know what day it was and he wasn't sure of the last thing he actually did.

"You've been real sick, Boo. Scared her." OC told him softly.             

"Oh." _Oh_. Had it been that bad? He remembered going to bed feeling a little queasy, then waking up to aching muscles and Max's unblinking, owlish stare.              

"...She'd never admit to it, but - my homegirl freaked out, over you almost dyin' on us."             

OC's words set in, giving Alec a strange and unfamiliar feeling. He thought of Max, that weird, not-Max face he last saw. He didn't feel all that bad, considering. Tired and sore and mostly confused. Nothing like how he would expect almost dying to feel. He almost wanted to say sorry to Max, that he was fine now, honestly.              

 _Almost_.              

"Of course she did." He grinned as he rolled onto his side and nestled his cheek into the pillow. "...Maxie's always promised to kill me herself."

 

~~

 

               

"How'd it go?"              

"Exactly as planned - for once." Max smiled into her screen at Logan. On the other end of the video call, Logan's eyes crinkled as he smiled back at her. He was glad to see a real smile from Max, something he found to be too rare these days.              

"Good. Good, I'm glad." There was a lull -             

"You're not jealous are you?" Max teased.              

"Me? Nah, Eyes Only's got plenty of material. This city alone provides an endless number of bad guys to expose." Logan sobered. "This is a good scoop. I'm glad it's going national." *From a less controversial source.             

Max nodded then glanced to the side, her lips pressed together.             

"Logan..." She was still working up the nerve to tell Logan about the change in her DNA. "What if... what if we never find a cure for this virus? Have you ever thought about that?"              

There was a long moment before Logan answered, during which Max wondered if he was trying to decide what to tell her (and what not to tell her) or if he really never had considered the possibility before.              

"I'll always love you, Max. In any way that I can. I mean that. I don't want to limit you in any way - "              

"That's not - " Max said over him, not wanting him to think that her question was posed due to her wanting an out.             

" - No, listen - I thought about this when you and Alec were together. When I _believed_ that you and Alec were together - " Logan continued haltingly, examining his own thoughts just a step before he spoke them. "If someone else is able to love you... in a way that I can't, well... you deserve the best, Max. You - how I feel about you - you don't owe me anything for it."              

Max felt a lump in her throat, wondered if her love for anyone could be ever as absolute as Logan's for her. She couldn't speak, as much for the lump as for the blankness in her head where she felt she should have come up with something just as beautiful to say to him.              

"But - I'm not losing hope for us just yet." Logan grinned. "I have a feeling there are going to be some Manticore scientists rounded up in the near future. And if there's anything scientific progress has taught us so far, it's that any man-made thing can be un-made."

 

~~

 

               

Alec was recovering quickly but one wouldn't know it by his behavior with Max. He saw a perfect opportunity to exercise brief and frivolous power and seized it, making Max his exasperated and unwilling servant. Any tender feelings she might have had were instantly squashed by him heavyhandedly milking the situation for all its worth. Max tried to spend time with OC catching up during one of her visits, but hardly fifteen minutes would pass before a shout of "Maaaaax!" or "Maxie!" OC chuckled furtively every time Max got up with a huff and went to Alec, scowling and stomping. _That boy has no shame_ , OC thought to herself.              

Alec's self-sufficiency curiously returned in Max's absence. Having treated pediatric patients with siblings in the past, Dr. Shankar was familiar with the dynamic and considered putting an end to it - but she found it rather amusing. After several days, Max herself decided she had had enough.              

"I know what you're doing." Max said darkly as she got up from the couch once again.              

"What?" Complete innocence in Alec's voice, sincerely bewildered eyes.              

"I'll play along for the rest of today, but after that, you're melting your own marshmallows." She stabbed her index finger into the air for emphasis as she glared down at him.              

He worked his lips in thought, shrugged, and nodded in agreement as he turned back to the tv. Her compliance actually lasted longer than he had expected.              

When Max returned, Alec took the bowl from her and began mixing peanut butter into the melted marshmallow.             

"You haven't told him, have you?" Alec said, his voice casual, eyes focused on sprinkling pretzel pieces into his bowl.              

"What?"             

Alec looked over at her and rolled his eyes. _You know what I'm talking about._              

"I've been busy." She glared at him pointedly,              

"Oh no no no - I will not be held accountable for your subterfuge."              

"Subterfuge?"              

"Max, you're going to have to tell him."              

"Shut up."             

"It doesn't make it any less real, you know, keeping him in the dark - "              

"No, seriously, shut up and watch this," Max said as she leaned forward, focused on a news program on the television screen. "Huh... This... this wasn't supposed to come out until next week," she murmured to herself.              

"What?"              

"Shhh!"              

The tv showed wobbly amateur footage of a corridor leading into an empty laboratory. The camera panned across the room then focused on a table which held a long line of vials, filled with what appeared to be blood. The amateur footage ended, and Rabbit appeared, dressed in an impeccable peacock blue suit jacket. Her face was somber as she spoke.              

"...the extermination program was in its trial stage. The agent used was intended to mimic natural illness, disrupting immune and endocrine function until the transgenic dies, from what appears to be a natural death caused by a foreign pathogen. We've so far been able to confirm two cases of transmission - but with the level of secrecy this program has had and our limited access to the transgenic community, it is uncertain what the actual number is. The authorization and implementation of this program is currently under investigation. Given that United States is signatory to the Biological Weapons Convention..."              

"Wow." Alec said quietly as he watched. "This tops the first one, she's definitely getting a raise. Maybe even a title change – hey, why next week?"              

Max huffed. "We were going to do another sweep of the place. Not happening now, the place is probably swarming with federal agents from every department."              

"How did you even find this place?"              

"Joshua. And his amazing sense of smell." The pride was apparent in her voice. Alec cocked an eyebrow, waiting for her to say more. "We had a big lead." Max turned to him and hesitated before asking, "Anyone owe you a favor? A big one?" Alec shrugged, his face blank. "Well, the antidote we gave to you and Tucker - that wasn't Dr. Shankar. Someone left it for her to find. Inside a Beretta 92SB Compact, along with this - " she gave him a small, creased piece of paper, on which was written: _My debt with you is cleared, 494_. "Wanna tell me what that's all about?"              

Alec became very still and stared at the piece of paper in his hand like he'd forgotten how to read. His wide eyes and slightly parted lips showed no hint of comprehension or recollection. He suddenly turned away, but not before Max caught a glimpse of his eyes squeezing shut and jaw clenching.             

"Alec?"             

He let out a sound that was between a chuckle and a wince. He gave a start and stop narrative, his breath catching at the pauses. "Didn't think she'd make good on it. Another X5 - don't remember her designation. It was one of the first days of firearms training. Accidental discharge. I covered for her. Don't remember why - maybe just on impulse. She said she owed me - no, she didn't say it, she mouthed it because we weren't - we weren't supposed to be speaking. But, um... After that, your unit escaped. Yeah i guess that's when it happened. They, um - we were - i didn't see the others after that for a long time." When he was finished, he sat looking at the floor in front of him, his breathing shallow and face tight with pain.             

Max barely processed the information. Her original question felt irrelevant; Alec's sudden change in demeanor made her worried that the effects of the antidote may be temporary.              

"Hey - " her hand reached out tentatively.              

"I'm okay." Alec said roughly. "It's just I haven't - long-term episodic memory retrieval is hard for me. I haven't gone that far back in a long time. I think they meant to take away or block off a certain period of time, but brains don't work that way. Retrieval in general is a bitch." Max didn't have to ask who "they" were. Or why. He rubbed his forehead and finally looked up. "Max, I'm fine. Besides, what's better than being in the here and now, right?" He said, in the same dismissive tone and smile that he had given her by the lockers at Jam Pony, when she asked him if he was alright. She'd been around him long enough to recognize that millisecond of deliberation that separated that smile from the real and spontaneous ones. But she'd never called him on it.             

Alec picked up the remote and flipped through a few channels before settling on a novela on Telemundo. A woman was screeching tearily at another woman. The other woman screeched back. They went back and forth a few times before the teary woman ran out the door right into the arms of her lover. Alec nodded at it like it was a particularly good production of a Shakespearean play. He spoke to the characters on the screen as if they could hear him and be saved from the anguish of relationship strife and personal politics.              

Max relaxed a bit. She could tell that despite the abrupt re-direction, Alec was actually enjoying himself, watching and commenting on the petty problems of some very good looking people.              

Still, a sick sense of loss and impending loss that she had been trying to shake for days persisted. She couldn't stop thinking about how _wrong_ Alec had looked, his coloring and his stillness. About how she _knew_ at first sight in that church that her brother was gone but couldn't accept it until her hand cradled the back of Ben's neck damp with sweat as he spoke of the Good Place for the last time. About the warm familiar texture of Alec's downy baby duck hair under her fingers being gone away forever. She had made peace with the fact that she would never hear another of Ben's stories and be soothed by its meaning, the internal cohesion. A lump formed in her throat with the thought of going about her days with silent spaces that used to be filled with Alec's constant chatter. It would be only her and Joshua -              

"Hey, Max." Alec interrupted, chewing with his mouth wide open. The peanut butter-marshmallow-pretzel concoction made an obnoxiously loud smack-click suction sound.              

"Get me a glass of water, will ya? Need something to wash this down." Max grimaced in disgust, then smiled as she made her way once again to the kitchen. it was one non-physical thing that Ben and Alec had in common: they both knew how to make her feel better with just the right words at just the right time.

 

~~

_one month later_

 

               

The entrance to Terminal City looked empty when Alec strolled into Terminal City.             

"Huh." No sentries. He was gazing up at the alcoves when familiar footsteps approached.              

"What are you doing here?"              

"Nice to see you too, Max," he responded cheerily. "I came to pick up some cables for Logan." He motioned with his head to the empty backpack slung over one shoulder. "Hey what's with the - " he gestured up, to where there would normally be at least six transgenics guarding the entrance.             

"Got company. Sentries are hiding. Makes the place look more welcoming." Max explained, as they walked toward the Commons.              

"Yeah... yeah." Alec tilted his head, considering. "Y'know, the place is kind of drab. Maybe we could put up some decorations - Oh! How about those strings of little lights?! We could get different colors overlapping, make it look homey - "              

"You don't even live here anymore," Max scoffed.             

It was true. Transgenics had been granted freedom of movement with police protection within Seattle, shortly after the extermination plan had gone public and the federal government got involved. Many of the transgenics who appeared human or human enough were glad. Others were more skeptical. ("Freedom of movement, my ass. They just want to keep track of us." Mole.) Transhumans mostly remained in Terminal City of their own accord.             

With some charm and forged documents, Alec had re-claimed his old apartment, only to give it to Gem, her baby daughter Silver, Dalton, and three X6s in his unit who had made it to Terminal City. Once reunited, they refused to part ways. Manticore upbringing had kept them from developing any concept of privacy. The X6's were perfectly happy with the setup of Gem and her daughter staying in the bedroom, with the living room area transformed into a dormitory.              

After much deliberation, Max had decided to move back in with Original Cindy - though she still spent most of her waking hours in Terminal City, including the evening and early morning hours during which most of Seattle was asleep. Almost a week after she had moved her things back into the apartment, she caught Joshua coming out from another apartment down the hallway.              

"Joshua?" Max came closer. "Joshua."             

"Hey, Little Fella."             

She pointed at the apartment door. "Are you - moving in? Here?"              

Joshua shook his head. "Not moving. Moved." He slapped a hand on her back, wrenched the door open again, and shoved her inside. It seemed that Joshua had definitely _moved_. The place looked settled. Inhabited. Her gaze settled on the kitchen counter, which held an elegant display of an expensive and diverse collection of liquor. Next to a party size bag of mini pretzels and two smaller bags of neon yellow popcorn. Joshua led her further into the apartment. "Joshua." - he gestured to one of the bedroom doors – "Alec." - another bedroom door – "Alec tv." - the expanse of the living room – "Studio!" A cry of joy. He flung the door of the last bedroom open. Inside were multiple easels with works in progress. Finished works leaning against the wall. It was almost noon, but Max could tell that the large east-facing windows would let in the creep of sunrise and flood the room with light by mid-morning. It was perfect. Well, as perfect as it could be, with Alec now living down the hall from her.              

Alec was about to offer more interior decoration suggestions when they came within sight of the Commons. A small crew of transgenics was bustling around, rearranging furniture and lighting. At the center of it all - Rabbit.             

"Alec." Her glossy pink lips curved up when she spotted them. "It's good to see you again. I'm doing another piece. We were just about to start."             

"Alright!" Alec slapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Where do I sit?"             

"Actually - uh - " Rabbit hesitated.             

"She's not here for you, dummy!" Max cuffed him over the head.              

Alec looked genuinely surprised that Rabbit would want to interview anyone else now that he was available.              

"Well, who - "              

"That guy." Rabbit tilted her chin toward Dix, who was dressed in a suit jacket. He gave them a little wave.             

"Come on, let's get out of their way." Max grabbed Alec by the arm and dragged him away. She released him as they walked down one of the inner corridors.              

"Hey Max I've got an idea. A reality show. Featuring transgenics. Whaddya think?" He didn't wait for an answer. "We need to ride this wave. A show that peels back the veil of secrecy surrounding us, features the day to day lives of transgenics, you know, normal stuff. Good and bad. With some personal drama thrown in there."              

Max snorted. "You do know those shows aren't actually real, right? They've got writers. And they're all so trashy anyway."              

"Aw, come on, Max! People would love it. 'Cause we're _different_ \- but not that different. And think of the publicity and good money it would bring."              

"Alec, we might be under siege again if people had to watch something like that with you in it."             

He feigned hurt for a moment before continuing. "Okay, fine. Not me, then." A few moments of silence as he scrunched up his face and turned this thought over.              

Max was heading toward the mess hall for inventory. They were going more or less the same way, but she was almost there and the cables Alec was supposed to be getting would have had him branch off from her two passes ago.             

"I mean, it would be a shame for the American people not to see me at all, but the focus doesn't have to be on me. Hey, how about Fla - what was her name - Flamenca? Flamika? Her fangs are pretty cute. There should definitely be a segment about her and her batgirl friends. People love a good vampire story. I mean, I know they're not actually vampires..." he rambled on as he followed her. Which - Max smiled - she knew he would.

 


End file.
